LibriVox recording of Up from Slavery, by Booker T. Washington.

Up From Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of Booker T. Washington detailing his slow and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton University, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students.
(Summary from Wikipedia)

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M4B audiobook of complete book

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This audio is part of the collection: The LibriVox Free Audiobook Collection
It also belongs to collections: Audio Books & Poetry; Community Audio

Artist/Composer: Booker T. Washington
Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text
Keywords: librivox; booker washington; autobiography; civil war; slavery; african americans; native americans; education

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: ListeninginChicago - - December 28, 2009
Subject: Insightful autobiography
I found the first person account of life in the South in the years immediately after the Civil War to be very engaging and challenging. The grinding poverty of the former slaves was appalling. I was particularly caught by Mr. Washington's emphasis on oral hygiene and daily baths. We take so much for granted in our day to day lives and don't realize that when the motivation is dehumanization, deprivations of this sort are amazingly effective. So of course, once freed, the former slaves must be taught the norms of civilized society. I sit back and wonder whether some of the views he expressed were influenced by political and social realities of his day, and his goal of advancing his race through the work of the Tuskegee institute. I know people much more knowledgeable than I have debated such questions. But on a very personal and human level, you can't help but admire and respect what Mr. Washington did to improve his own life, and those of the people around him of all races.

This is a Librivox group recording. It was a bit odd hearing the first two chapters of this book in particular read with a Chinese accent, but all of the readings were clear and very well done.

Reviewer: Ragsdog - - September 16, 2009
Subject: I was humbled
Interesting story - how he could have come out of his early life to achieve the things he did is almost unbelievable. Thank you to all the readers for introducing me to a great man.